Liverpool Academy, 13 March 2014

A minimalist stage set with bright pink higlights, and in the midst of a triangle of camouflaged keyboards encircling a drum set lurking threateningly in dark shadows. After a less than inspiring set from a band called The Proper Ornaments this was a more than welcome sight.

Joseph Mount, who started this combo back in 1999 in his Deveon bedroom,  leads from stage centre sat behind keyboards with his guitar resting by his side. To his right the handsome figure of  Gbenga Adelekan on bass guitar and behind him Oscar cash and Gabriel Stebbing on keyboards, with Anna Prior on drums. By the time all players were on stage the audience had swelled to capacity and the welcoming cheers enough to lift the roof. Metronomy has proved with previous and current work that they have career legs capable of generating fans acros the globe but in a quintessentially quirky English electro pop way. It was with the release of the band’s last album,THE ENGLISH RIVIERA,in 2011 that I began to take notice (as did others when it was eventually short-listed for the UK’s major Mercury Music Prize). Then in recent days came the release of the far more adventurous and diverse album called LOVE LETTERS which got this show off to a distinctive and interesting start.

Mount opened with ‘Monstrous’, one of the new album’s highlights, with rhythmic percussive pounding dominating the instrumental backdrop, Mount’s falsetto vocal and powerful melody creating one of the night’s most entertaining segments. More new songs arrived including the highly original ‘Month Of Sundays’ with its retro echoes and ‘Love Letters’ with its slow, mournful brass moments before opening out into a ELO-style instrumental and vocal harmony burst to keep us all on out toes (another album highlight). So, an adventurous setlist start from the combo which went down so well followed by a master stroke with the familiar Hammond tones of ‘The Look’ which absolutely cemented the emotional connection between band and audience. And it sounded great!” This was followed by another RIVIERA song albeit one of its less spectacular moments.

I couldn’t fault this show. The performances were excellent, the setlist masterful; with something for everyone but bravely including no less than nine brand new songs. The band’s older albums were also replayed on stage in a setlist containing 19 songs including 3 in the inevitable encore. I’ve waiting patiently a long time to see this band perform. On the night I was rewarded with a show to remember.

SETLIST

Monstrous
Month Of Sundays
Love Letters
The Look
She Wants
Boy Racers
Call Me
I’m Aquarius
Reservoir
Holiday
Radio Ladio
Everything Goes My Way
Side 2
Corinne
The Upsetter
The Bay

Some Written
Heartbreaker
The Most Immaculate Haircut

2014 Tour Schedule

21st - United Kingdom, Birmingham HMV Institute
23rd - United Kingdom, Portsmouth Pyramids Centre
24th - United Kingdom, Bristol Academy
25th - United Kingdom, Oxford Academy
26th - United Kingdom, Norwich UEA
28th - United Kingdom, London Brixton Academy
31st - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Rockhal

April 2014

1st - Holland, Amsterdam - Melkweg Old Room
2nd - Belgium, Brussells - AB Club
4th - Germany, Frankfurt - Batschkapp
5th - Germany, Munich - Muffathalle
6th - Germany, Berlin - Astra Kulturhaus
7th - Germany, Hamburg - Grosse Freiheit
9th - Denmark, Copenhagen - Loppen
10th - Sweden, Stockholm - Strand
11th - Norway, Oslo - Rockerfeller
14th - Switzerland. Zurich - Kaufleuten
15th - Switzerland - Lausanne D Club
16th - Italy, Milan - Magazzini Generali
18th - Austria, Vienna - WUK
24th - France, Bourges - Printemps de Bourges
25th - France, Toulouse - Zenith
26th - France, Nantes - Zenith
28th - France, Paris - Zenith
29th - France, Lille - Aeronef
30th - France, Lyon - Radiant

June 2014

7th - United Kingdom, London - Field Day